Article

2004-04-16 Iraq-Jordan

Press probes Rummy and Pace for soundbites - leave with diddly squat

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Posted by Super Hose 2004-04-16 13:21|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I heard the tail end of this on the radio yesterday. Rummy was funny and the press, as usual, had that PMS tone of soccer moms at a local PTA meeting, demanding to know why every child wasn't number 1 in their class - (especially their child).

Posted by B 2004-04-16 3:11:02 PM|| 2004-04-16 3:11:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 B - LOL. Perfect description of the LLL press.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2004-04-16 3:37:53 PM|| 2004-04-16 3:37:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 On a headline in one of the NY tabloids it says something like "Rummy Admits Iraq Mistakes."

Posted by Tibor 2004-04-16 3:58:20 PM|| 2004-04-16 3:58:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Tibor, I think this is what the clown reporter parlayed into admitting Iraq mistakes:

Q Sir, could you clarify your answer on what you did not expect a year later, because you left me considerably confused.

SEC. RUMSFELD: I'll try it for the third time.

Q If I could just tell you the part --

SEC. RUMSFELD: No, I will answer it.

Q Well, if I could tell you the part I didn't understand.

SEC. RUMSFELD: I'd rather -- I'd rather answer it my way.

Q (Laughs.)

SEC. RUMSFELD: What I said, I thought reasonably clearly, was that if a year ago you had asked me to describe where you would be on April 15th, 2004 in Iraq, how might you have described it? And I answered by saying I would not have described it precisely the way we are now, and that is exactly how I answered it.

(Cross talk.)

Q Is it better or worse?

Q How would have you described it -- or how would you describe it?

Q Did you mean you wouldn't expect it to be this bad, sir? Is that what you mean?

Q We don't get what you mean.

SEC. RUMSFELD: I certainly would not have estimated that we would have had the number of individuals lost in the -- that we have had lost in the last week.

Q Well, some say you did not send enough troops in. Do you think that's accurate now, that you should have sent more troops in initially to invade the Sunni Triangle, to deal with the situation?

SEC. RUMSFELD: (To General Pace.) Yeah, should we have a go at that? Do you want to do that?

GEN. PACE: Let me -- sure --

SEC. RUMSFELD: I don't know. Apparently there's a problem with the hearing aids in the room on this subject. Why don't you have a go at it, Pete, just for the fun of it?

GEN. PACE: I've been in this job since 1 October, 2001, and I think I've been in every meeting with the Secretary and the senior [leaders] where we have discussed how many troops are needed. And in every case, the civilian leadership has said to the military personnel, how many do you need, tell us what you need, you will get it. The military folks, like me, have done our analysis of what we need on the battlefield and we have come up with the numbers we have come up with, and we have been given those numbers. General Franks, General Abizaid, General Sanchez have all done their own analysis and have all come up with the numbers of forces that they need, and they have been provided those forces.

It is a balance between having a huge number -- which means, oh, by the way, that's more people in a country that would like, as we would like, to not have as many foreign soldiers on their territory. Of course the Iraqis would like to have not as many U.S. and coalition on their territory. So there's a balance between having X number of rifles available and having too many for the situation that's needed. And that's a military judgment.

The military commanders have asked for specific amounts of forces, and every force that have been requested of the civilian leadership, we have been authorized to provide. I don't know how to make it any more simple than that.

Q Were there missteps that were made that led us to this situation today? Do you see any military missteps or other missteps? .....

Posted by Super Hose 2004-04-16 4:59:39 PM|| 2004-04-16 4:59:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 And I wish Rummy couldsay,

". . .and obviously by the qustion you are asking you are as stupid as you are ugly."

Apparently there's a problem with the hearing aids in the room

Mr Secretary : You are being too nice.

Posted by Anonymous4052 2004-04-16 5:08:22 PM|| 2004-04-16 5:08:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 I love it when Rummy lays it on reporters. "First of all, sir, your question is inaccurate..."

Posted by CobraCommander 2004-04-16 6:47:57 PM|| 2004-04-16 6:47:57 PM|| Front Page Top

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